Thursday, September 30, 2004
Poor colon cancer screening rates
Colon cancer screening rates are still low:Overall, 58 percent of men and 51 percent of women [aged 50 to 74 years -ed] in the study reported ever having undergone endoscopy, but only 35 percent reported being tested in the five years before 1997. Just 42 percent of men and 31 percent of women reported endoscopy for screening (rather than for disease diagnosis or follow-up).It is recommended by most organizations that people at average risk should start screening for colon cancer start at age 50. Those with a first-degree relative who has had colon cancer or an adenomatous polyp should start at age 40.
There are several options that can be discussed:
1) fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year, with a colonoscopy if positive;
2) flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years;
3) FOBT + flexible sigmoidoscopy, FOBT should be done first because a positive result is an indication for colonoscopy, obviating the need for sigmoidoscopy;
4) colonoscopy every 10 years;
5) double-contrast barium enema every 5 years.
The ultimate decision should be a shared one between patient and physician.
Posted by Kevin |
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Comments:
Hi Dr. Kevin,
I was very happy to have found your contributions at medhelp.org and on your blog.
I am a 37 year old male and had a "lucky" colonoscopy done in August. I went in for a hemmorhoid issue, but was scheduled for a colonoscopy (I still don't know the logic behind that one).
Anyhow, they found and removed three pre-cancerous polyps (they even provided pictures of my insides, including the polyps).
I am very, very fortunate that this was caught so early. I hope that doctors like mine (and you!) are more liberal with doing diagnostic tests such as these.
In this case, it probably saved my life as I wouldn't have agreed to have one done for a very long time.
Sure, it cost the insurance company a couple thousand dollars, but imagine what it would have cost them 10 years from now if it had gone unchecked.
Thank you very much for the knowledge you are spreading on the web.
Doug
I was very happy to have found your contributions at medhelp.org and on your blog.
I am a 37 year old male and had a "lucky" colonoscopy done in August. I went in for a hemmorhoid issue, but was scheduled for a colonoscopy (I still don't know the logic behind that one).
Anyhow, they found and removed three pre-cancerous polyps (they even provided pictures of my insides, including the polyps).
I am very, very fortunate that this was caught so early. I hope that doctors like mine (and you!) are more liberal with doing diagnostic tests such as these.
In this case, it probably saved my life as I wouldn't have agreed to have one done for a very long time.
Sure, it cost the insurance company a couple thousand dollars, but imagine what it would have cost them 10 years from now if it had gone unchecked.
Thank you very much for the knowledge you are spreading on the web.
Doug
# posted by 
: 11:51 PM
: 11:51 PM
Thanks for calling attention to this. I waited till I was 55 for my first screening and a cancerous polyp was found. I postponed going for the colonoscopy, because I thought the procedure would be so bad. It was nothing actually.
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# posted by : 3:55 AM
: 3:55 AM
